Vision is one of the human senses which has a substantial impact on the quality of life (QOL), and disorders thereof significantly impair the QOL. Therefore, for those having vision disorders, there is a need for the establishment of a technology to complement the lost function. Retinal prosthesis is known as such a technology.
Patent Document 1 discloses a retinal prosthesis including a photodiode for generating an electrical signal from incident light, and a thin film transistor for transmitting the electrical signal generated by the photodiode to the optic nerve. In the retinal prosthesis, a three-dimensional structure is obtained by stacking semiconductor layers, in which various elements are formed, to allow the photodiode to have a larger size.
Patent Document 2 discloses a retinal prosthesis which is implanted inside the eye having a retina. The retinal prosthesis includes a stimulus array arranged in the central region of the retina, and a photovoltaic cell located in the outside of the macular area of the retina or the like. The photovoltaic cell generates power in response to ambient light. The stimulus array utilizes the power generated by the photovoltaic cell.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-79799
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2006-517828